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Design Miami/Basel 2016:an interactive wave of tiles and a crystallophone are among the 2016 Swarovski Designers of the Future Award commissions, revealed yesterday at Design Miami/Basel (+ slideshow).

They were tasked with interpreting the theme of "betterment", combining Swarovski crystals and new technologies.

Srinivasan created an undulating wave of interactive tiles, Suzuki produced a musical instrument that makes sound by tapping crystals, and Studio Brynjar & Veronika designed crystal blinds that cast rainbows when hit by the sun.

Srinivasan's work involved developing a special crystal tile that responds to human touch by lighting up the area of contact

Described as "an architectural surface for crystal drawing", Unda responds to human touch by lighting up the area of contact. The light slowly fades when contact stops, creating the effect of a trail of illumination that appears to follow the movement of a person's hand.

"Crystal is a highly engaging material because it is a solid object that creates visual effects that you cannot touch," said Srinivasan.

Measuring six metres in length, Unda encompasses 1,500 of the interactive touch crystals at the crest of the wave, as well as 3,000 Swarovski crystals and 5,000 glass pieces blown in Srinivisan's Dubai studio.

Suzuki's sculpture for the commission is a mechanical crystallophone, which means it produces sound through the vibration of crystals

A spectrum of whites, blues, greens and earthy golds unfurls along the sculpture's surface as the touch crystals blend into Srinivisan's glass, representing the transition from glass into crystal.

It consists of 16 brass podiums arranged in a semi-circle. Each holds a crystal of a different size, ranging from 95 to 250 millimetres in diameter, which determines the note that is produced when the crystal is struck by brass hammers.

As well as playing Suzuki's own programmed compositions, Sharevari can be "conducted" by audience members by way of a network of sensors.

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